Faith
by artemisgirl
Summary: It was ironic, really, how his pursuit of righteousness had landed him here, where he had no place belonging. A tale of Mikami's faith in Kira. MikamixKira. spoilers for chapters in the 100's.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is done a bit differently than my usual stories. First off, the pairing is Mikami/Raito, which in itself is unusual. Secondly, it's written in an unusual sort of chonology. You'll catch on quick enough.

Rated for mature themes and violence. Spoilers for the chapters in the 100's. Don't expect many more author's notes at the beginnings of chapters, but you can expect relatively quick updates with this one.

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"And how does the defendant plead?" 

"Not guilty, your honor, by reason of mental disease or defect."

Mikami Teru looked around the crammed courtroom, bored, bluntly ignoring his attorney and the prosecutor as they bickered back and forth about his bail. It was just protocol, really. No one had any way of knowing whether or not he had hidden any death note scraps anywhere except him, so they could hardly do anything but remand him.

The room was packed, the Mikami noticed. Every major news network had cameras rolling avidly, filming his first court appearance as a defendant to show to their viewers. Everyone seemed to want to hear the story of the good lawyer gone bad.

He glanced over to look at one of the camera men, who leapt back in horror, nearly toppling over his reporter friend. Mikami nearly rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. What did they expect; a rogue, unshaven barbarian sitting before them? He was clean, dressed sharply, and wearing a tie. He was of high-class, and he had committed an honorable act of righteousness. He was not a criminal.

Mikami sniffed. It was ironic, really, how his pursuit of righteousness had landed him at the defense table, where so many unrighteous had sat before him.

Turning back to the proceedings, Mikami watched through disinterested eyes as the young prosecutor read off the names of some of those he had killed, trying to prove that he was a menace to society, as if all those present didn't already know that.

The prosecutor was new, Mikami decided, his narrow eyes sweeping across the attorney's figure, judging that he was most likely fresh from law school. His movements were quick and nervous, too unrefined, and he was over anxious to put him away behind bars. His respect for the system was real, as his own had once been, before he had become disillusioned with the system, realizing it could never truly dispense justice.

"The defendant is remanded without bail and is to remain in jail for the duration of the trial." The judge glared down at him him as the bailiff moved forward, as if daring him to object. Mikami was tempted to shrug, but thought the better of it.

Mikami did not care what happened to him. He had failed Kira, his god, and this was what he deserved.

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	2. Chapter 2

Mikami remembered the exact moment when he had first heard of Kira.

It had been late at night, a couple years after he had become a prosecutor. He had seen enough of the system to know that it was broken, unjust, but he was wise enough to know that it was all he had to work with, given what he had.

He had just returned from a long day at work, where the serial killer Okadu Osamu had gotten his DNA evidence suppressed by some tricky legal loophole his slime ball lawyer had found. Without the DNA linking the man to the crime, and with only a motive left and circumstantial evidence, the jury had acquitted, sending the killer on his merry way.

Mikami had been nursing a drink, warding off a growing headache, trying not to dwell on the downs of his job, when the phone had rang.

"Hello?"

"Mikami? You're never going to believe this! You know that guy in court from earlier! Well, he-"

Mikami managed to recognize the frantic, excited tone on the other line as Yuki Shiro, a bright, cheery girl who occasionally helped him with his cases.

"Slow down; what's going on?"

"Mikami! It's incredible! Osamu's dead!"

Instantly, Mikami's headache vanished.

"_What?"_

"Osamu's _dead!_ He's dead! You've got to see it! He's right outside the convince store by the Kazou Shrine! The police are here and everything! It's unbelievable! Hurry!"

Mikami stood up, an anxious trill going through him that he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm on my way."

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The crime scene was only a few blocks from the courthouse, and Mikami found himself there within minutes, along with the police, an ambulance, and a large crowd of people.

Mikami cut his way through the crowd to the front of the crowd, anxious to see the truth. His eyes landed upon the twisted face of Osamu, distorted in agony, his motionless hands clutching at his chest, and Mikami felt a strange, cold sense of satisfaction descend upon him.

So. Justice had been served, after all.

"What happened?" he asked a nearby observer. The man turned to him, his eyes wide.

"Don't you know?" he said breathlessly. "It's incredible! Not five minutes after his acquittal was announced on the evening news, Osamu just crumpled over and died from a heart attack right outside the convince store!"

"A heart attack?" Mikami repeated, watching as the police covered the body with a sheet.

"Yeah! He was fine, and then he just died! Personally, I think it's Kira again. He always seems to hate it when justice goes awry."

Mikami turned sharply.

"Kira?"

"Haven't you heard? Criminals have been dying off from heart attacks world wide! The police are trying to keep it quiet, but it's definitely happening! It's like someone's passing divine judgment on the world or something, and all those deemed unworthy are eliminated! So far, the per perpetrator's only known as 'Kira', and so far people have been saying..."

Mikami half-listened as the man beside him prattled on excitedly about Kira, reflecting on the immediate information he had heard: a god had descended to earth and was passing judgment on the unrighteous.

It was exactly what he had been waiting for his entire life.

Mikami watching with a thin smile as the paramedics loaded up the sheeted body and drove away, his eyes cold despite the warmth of the summer night.

It was the best night of Mikami's life.

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	3. Chapter 3

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, before you sits a man that has killed over five hundred people." The prosecutor paused for dramatic effect, and everyone turned to look at him. "Over _five **hundred**_ people," he repeated.

Mikami had the sudden urge to stand up and take a bow, just for the hell of it.

Opening statements were always annoying. It was the jury's first day, and with no evidence or witnesses having been presented yet, you could say virtually anything you wanted. And by the time the case was over, no one remembered the opening statements anyway.

Another stupid protocol issue.

Mikami fiddled with a pen as the prosecutor rambled on about what they would prove. It was undoubtable that the prosecution would prove everything they claimed. Mikami had been employed by them before; he knew how they worked.

"The state is seeking the death penalty for these horrific crimes against mankind," the prosecutor declared, and Mikami could tell that he was winding down. "And by the time this trial is over, you, too, will be convinced that this creature no longer deserves to live."

The prosecutor fixed them all with a deep, searching gaze for a moment, that Mikami bet he had practiced in front of the mirror earlier that morning, before finally returning to his seat.

Mikami watched as his lawyer stood up, adjusted his tie, and approached the jury. His manner was soft, open, and relaxed, and the difference between him and the prosecutor was stark and highly evident.

"We have all heard of Kira," the man said. His voice was calm and assured, as opposed to the barely contained raw enthusiasm the prosecutor had shown. "A god descended to earth. Judgment on the criminal. A living legend, with no apparent explanation."

The defense attorney was clearly highly experienced and familiar with the courtroom from the way he strolled around, relaxed and nonchalant, his manner inviting. He was, in fact, from a very prestigious law firm that usually handed celebrity cases, earning nine-figure amounts. The lawyer, however, was handling Mikami's case pro-bono, using it to merely get the exposure that the trial would provide.

Mikami did not care. He had confessed, refused to pay for a defense, and tried to plead guilty, only to be blocked by the government, who was unflinching, determined to put him to death, unwilling to accept a plea.

It didn't matter to Mikami. He had failed god, his master, Kira, and he did not deserve to live, anyway. Mikami figured he would be dead already, had Kira not wanted this trial to occur for some reason. But it was also likely for Kira to not bother himself personally with Mikami's death. Or perhaps he was deriving amusement from observing the proceedings. Either way, it didn't matter.

Mikami tuned out his lawyer, who was now prattling on about the crime rate. His lawyer had stopped him from going even farther in his guilty plea, bargaining with him, saying he was insane to the judge, talking to him, and discussing the matter.

In the end, Mikami had given in. The lawyer had provided one thing Mikami wanted, at least.

"No one doubts that Teru-san killed these people," his lawyer looked around at the jury again, who were paying attention, apparently genuinely interested. "but the question is not whether or not he killed these people, but whether he is legally responsible for their deaths. And the answer to that question is no."

Mikami mouthed along with his attorney. He knew every word. He had practically written his opening statement for him in his cell while he had been arguing motions in the judge's chambers. Entertainment was a precious commodity in prison.

"Before you sits a man, who, lost in the world, tired to do what he though was right, like any of you might do, given the opportunity. And in that quest for righteousness, he lost his sanity, trying to do what he thought was best. And you must find him not guilty."

Mikami ignored his lawyer as he sat down beside him and tuned out the prosecutor, who rose to call his first witness.

It didn't matter. Mikami would lose the trial, but he would remain loyal, and he would be glad to die, to be a martyr, to give his life, for Kira.

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	4. Chapter 4

Mikami wasn't quite sure just when his loyalty for Kira turned into something more.

He supposed it was sometime between when he received the Death Note and been contacted by Kira; _that_ was only logical. If not then, when would it have been?

Of course, Mikami had loved Kira. Kira was righteous, Kira was god. Mikami had gone everywhere, done everything to prove his loyalty, determined to make god see him.

For six years, he had worked furiously at his job, becoming one of the best prosecutors in the country, with a reputation for his love of justice. When Kira's kingdom had premiered, he went to every taping, striving to get asked his opinion on every show. He tried to be seen supporting Kira as often as he could, and made his opinions publicly known. He was loyal to god, and he wanted god to know it.

Yet...

Somewhere deep inside of him, hidden in the pit of his soul, part of Mikami hadn't dared to believe it. Somewhere inside, he knew it was too good to be true. The rumors of giant conspiracies, misreports, and false evidence got to him, and part of Mikami didn't really believe.

Mikami tried, Mikami was loyal in every sense of the word, but part of Mikami doubted.

It was too great, too great of an idea, too great of a concept, too great of a miracle to be real. He wished it was true, he dreamed it was true, he lived like it was true, but like all wishes and dreams, somewhere in the back of his mind...

...he knew the truth.

Kira...

...wasn't real.

Yet, he persevered. He tried. He tried for six years. He tried to believe. He tried to believe. Believing in a god or being part of a religion or a faith was never easy at first, was it? He stomped down hard on his doubt. He did his best to help Kira out through his limited means, hoping though his fervor he would forget his doubts.

And then...

...he got the Death Note.

All his faith in his god confirmed.

And Mikami believed.

The significance Mikami derived from that one act from Kira... knowing that he had been judged by god himself, that god knew he had doubted, but had seen his faith regardless, and not only had he been deemed worthy, but he had been deemed to be one of his followers... it was staggering, mind-boggling, and Mikami knew he would never be able to repay his god.

Ever since then, day after day, Mikami would faithfully sit at his desk, judging quietly, the room silent, save the occasionally muttered 'elimination.'

On occasion, (Mikami didn't remember any specific day; they all ran together after a while) Kira let Ryuuk, the shinigami, drop by and visit, and he would watch him judge the unrighteous and laugh.

Mikami didn't care.

Long into the night he wrote into the notebook, his precious proof of the existence of his god, Ryuuk laughing all the while, cackling that he had gone mad, and how amusing humans were.

It hardly mattered. Mikami would gladly give up his sanity for Kira. He would give Kira anything.

Ryuuk kept watching, and Mikami kept writing, quickly and efficiently, his fingers and stained with ink, murmuring to himself, his eyes narrowed, a thin, cruel smile on his lips as he wrote name after name, person after person, taking life after life.

Eventually, Ryuuk had stopped laughing and had just watched, astonished, as Mikami wrote furiously, fervently, that first night, never stopping. A criminal help up a bank and died. A man had a heart attack while raping a woman. A man kicked a man and keeled over and died. Fast and furiously, Mikami wrote their names, filling pages, pages, pages with the law of Kira.

"Err- Mikami? I don't think this is what Kira wanted..."

But Mikami was too far gone. Blood pounded in his ears, burning hotly through his reins. With a few strokes of a pen, he wiped out life, and the sent a wave of dizzying power and arousal rushing through his veins, and he went on, killing, eliminating, wiping out life, for himself and for Kira, for the new world they were trying to create.

Ryuuk edged out of the room, disconcerted. Mikami wrote on, breathing hard, pupils dilated, his eyes bloodshot and red.

Kira had given him this, this taste of power, and Mikami's loyalty had grown from adoration to full-blown infatuation, addiction. He was addicted to it, to this power he had, to wipe out life in forty short seconds, with nothing but a piece of paper and a pen.

He _knew_ he was addicted, but _(god help him!)_ he _loved_ it, and he would do _anything _for the one who had given him this.

_Anything._

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	5. Chapter 5

This site was down for_ever_! It nearly killed me!

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"Please state your name for the record."

"Nate River. I am also known as Near." The gray-haired boy smiled slightly at the jury, pausing, before saying, "I am one of the successors of L."

The courtroom gasped on cue, and the media buzzed noisily while the judge called for order.

Mikami rolled his eyes. It was all so predictable. It was barely a week into the stupid trial, and he was already sick to death of it. Almost literally.

He had gotten a fair bit of amusement out of the first witness, Matsuda something-or-other, a bumbling idiot whom Kira had used from the very beginning. He detailed the beginning of the investigation from the start, the joining with L, the suspicion of Raito Yagami and Misa Amane, the catching of the Yotsuba group and the discovery of the death note to the death of L.

Mikami had felt a surge of pride at that. He had enjoyed hearing the story of his god, knowing he would triumph over his opponent in the end.

Matsuda then went on to detail the involvement of Near and Mello and the turn the investigation had taken, the kidnapping of Sayu, Chief Yagami's death, the turn of events with Takada (this, Mikami recognized) and finally, the sequence of events leading up to the 28th.

His lawyer had parried with Matsuda for a few hours, asking him questions about dates, motives, his faith in Raito Yagami, who was now proven to be Kira, and other things, succeeding in making Matsuda look like a bumbling fool. It had blown a cloud of haziness over his testimony, but the core facts remained.

Mikami glanced up at Near, who was detailing his involvement with the SPK and how he came to believe Mikami and Raito were acting as Kira, with the prodding of the prosecutor. He listened for a moment, before turning away again.

The next witness had been a scientist, one who had examined the Death Note they had confiscated from him, that Near had tricked him out of. He recited the rules for the court, read from the inside in English, the universal language of science, then translated. He then identified which rule (the thirteen day one) was a fake, and that the notebook was made with no known substance known to mankind.

At Mikami's insistence, though to the befuddlement of his lawyer, the defense asked the scientist one question: did the notebook mention anything about a deal with a shinigami within it? The scientist responded in the negative, and Mikami was satisfied.

After all, he still had ownership of the Death Note, and the eyes that he kept with it, though the others didn't know that.

Mikami slouched slightly, his head propped up on his hand as he watched Near testify, detailing how he had outwitted Raito Yagami, Kira, and gotten to the warehouse and gotten him to admit he was Kira, and how his remaining SPK officers had arrested Mikami. The prosecutor thanked him and sat down.

Mikami couldn't help but smirk. It was obvious that he had been told not to journey past that particular event. Not many knew what had happened in the warehouse, but Mikami, having been there, knew all too well.

Standing up, Mikami straightened his tie, and the prosecutor bolted to his feet.

"Objection!"

"Approach."

The judge scowled down at them as the prosecutor scrambled to gather his bearings.

"Your Honor, this is a clear attempt to intimidate the witness!" the prosecutor said quickly. "He has threatened Near's life in person more than once! This is a clear intimidation attempt that the court should not allow!"

"Have I not the right to confront my accuser?" Mikami drawled. "And the right to assist in my own defense? I am an attorney myself, and I know the limits set before me, your Honor."

The judge looked down his nose skeptically at Mikami, who withstood his gaze coolly, and then at the prosecutor, who was sweating anxiously.

"I'm sorry, but I am forced to agree with Teru-san on this one," the judge admitted to the prosecutor, before fixing Mikami with a stern glare. "You say you know your limits. Be sure you stay within them, Teru."

"Yes, your Honor."

Defeated, the prosecutor slumped back to his seat, while Mikami took his time striding over to the witness stand, letting the media whisper and gossip about his victory in the back.

Mikami smirked as Near stiffened visibly as he neared, the small triumph showing coldly in his eyes.

"Near," he said. "You say you outwitted Kira-"

"You mean Raito Yagami," Near interjected.

"I will refer to him as Kira," Mikami continued smoothly. "Yet, can you explain then how it is that you are persecuting me, whom you claim you deduced was the 4th Kira, a pawn of Kira, and not the real Kira?"

Near scowled. He glared at him and muttered something venomously, the hateful expression looking odd on his normally passive face. The media leaned forward.

"Sorry. I didn't catch that."

"I said he escaped," Near said loudly.

There was a gasp from the jury, and Mikami's lips curled.

"Oh?" he said innocently. "I thought you said you outwitted Kira. Are you lying on the stand?"

"I said I outwitted Kira with the fake notebook," Near objected. "I never said-"

"So Kira outwitted you in the end?"

Near scowled again. "That's being judgmental toward-"

"Perhaps you should tell us exactly what happened after my arrest, Near."

Near bit down on his teeth hard, obviously trying not to grit them together.

"Certainly," he said, his voice strained. "After arresting you, I explained how Mello's sacrifice had led you to reveal the location of the real Death Note, effectively ruining Raito's plan. Raito Yagami then explained his purpose as Kira to all those present. When he realized that we planned on arresting him regardless-"

Mikami smirked. "Yes?"

"He asked if he could have a minute of silence to himself before his arrest. Seeing no immediate harm in it, I consented," Near said grudgingly. "Raito then thanked me, thanked Matsuda, and thanked you, before kneeling on the ground and closing his eyes.

"And then?"

"Thirty seconds later, Raito whipped a smoke grenade from his pocket and hurled it at us," Near said curtly. "As we were all coughing, the all the police Raito had come with except Matsuda died of heart attacks, there was a female yell of, "Raito-kun!" from the doorway, and Raito ran out while we were still doubled over, coughing, and has not been seen since."

"Kira escaped." Mikami paused to let this sink in. "So, Kira _did_ outwit you in the end."

"I didn't know he would resurrect Misa Amane to help him in case anything went wrong!" Near yelled, insulted. "He had been working through you for _months!_ He had no _idea _that you had messed up his plan! I didn't know he'd have a plan B like that!"

"Why didn't you know?" Mikami countered.

"I thought he trusted you!" Near said viciously. His eyes narrowed. "Why didn't he trust you, anyway? I thought you were his devout follower who could do know wrong. Why'd he need a plan B with you around?"

"I am the attorney here, so I will be asking the questions," Mikami informed him curtly. He paused. "However, I will answer yours."

The judge raised his eyebrows at the unusual turn of events, though it was not unheard of. The media gossiped, and the jury leaned forward.

"I am Kira's loyal servant, this is true," Mikami said, "and I would never purposely betray Kira. However, Kira is god, and I am only human, and, as all humans, I err, so there was need to cover in case I erred and failed god." Mikami turned.

But Near was not finished.

"But Kira's not god!" Near yelled. "You've met him now! You know who he is! He's a kid, practically! He was seventeen when he started killing criminals! He's human just like you! How can you still have such faith! Kira's no god, just an immature person playing at it!"

Mikami whirled around. "Have _you_ managed to restore the world to the purity it once was?"Mikami snarled, his eyes flashing viciously. "Have you rooted out the unrighteous, judged the people, and created a utopia? He is a god in every sense of the word, and I will serve him until the end of my life."

Mikami's cold eyes bore into Near's hard grey, and the silence in the room was defeaning.

"No further questions."

Mikami turned around and returned to his seat.

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	6. Chapter 6

It hadn't been known to many, but Kira had contacted him on occasion.

After he had called Takada, demanding to know who had told her to express her opinion, he had learned there was a man with her in the room who had caused her. Mikami had been sharp enough to realize the chances of who he was and had demanded she give him the phone.

"_Are you god?"_

"_Yes."_

God

on the phone

with him.

It was incredible.

Nearly unbelieveable.

But it was real.

_God._

_Kira._

Mikami had somehow managed to keep the sense of mind to confirm the person's identity. He had proven himself by killing the stupid TV announcer on Sakura. But the other...

"_...I don't mean to be rude, but could you show me proof that you're god?"_

"_November 26th? Five sheets of paper? What are you talking about?"_

November 26th – the postmark date on the envelop the notebook was sent in, and the directions were written on five sheets of paper...

It was confirmed.

God was on the phone.

And his follower was ready.

"_Then, from now on,"_

"_It'll be as you wish."_

Mikami had listened as Kira somehow manipulated the circumstances to disconnect all the bugs watching him, adeptly explained the situation to Takada charismatically, enchanted at finally hearing the voice of his god: cold, casual, and offhandly arrogant, the kind that those only true power can pull off.

It was everything he had thought.

"_Listen to me. I'll never allow you to ask Kiyomi who I am."_

"_I know."_

Mikami had listened, dazed, one hand to his heart as Kira spoke to him, instructing him, detailing that he would contact him through Takada, as he was still being watched. Mikami's mind heard the words, but they didn't really register.

"_This way, the messages will be passed along."_

Mikami was talking to god.

"_Understood."_

Nothing else mattered.

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	7. Chapter 7

"Hello there, Mikami. Is it alright if I call you Mikami?"

Mikami raised his head from the table to look at the whoever was interrupting his reminiscing. It was a plump, cheery woman, with a smile so fake it looked like it had been plastered on.

Mikami just looked at her.

"You can call me anything."

The woman sat down at the table across from him in the cell, appearing not to mind the squalor of the jail. Mikami put his head back down on the table, intent on ignoring her.

"So, Mikami, do you know why I'm here?"

Mikami turned to look at her incredulously. Did she think him an idiot?

"Yes," he said shortly.

"Why am I here, then?" she prompted.

Mikami sat up and to stare her down, his eyes narrowed.

"You're a psychologist. You're here to examine and then to testify about your conclusions of my sanity or insanity at my trial," Mikami said flatly.

"You seem to know a lot about this," the woman remarked, withdrawing a tablet from her bag.

Mikami raised an eyebrow. "I used to be a prosecutor. I know how the system works."

"So, what do you think I'll find?" she asked, clicking a pen open and putting it to the paper.

Mikami's eye twitched.

"I believe _you_ are the psychiatrist, Miss," he told her. "I have no desire to speculate about my sanity. I shall leave that to you."

"That may be so," the woman said, smiling slightly, "but we all have a slight idea of how our own brain is working. What do you think about your mind?"

A vein in Mikami's temple pulsed slightly.

"My mind is _my _mind, Miss," he said curtly. "You are free to examine it and psychoanalyze it as you wish, but _I_ will not."

"Oh, come on," the woman teased slightly. "You're a smart guy. I bet you could psychoanalyze yourself if you tried." She pushed the pad of paper and the pen across the table to him, tempting him.

Mikami's blank gaze met her own sparkling one, before he picked up the pen, clicked it, and began to write.

It didn't take long; he only wrote a few kanji, the bold strokes standing out against the pale yellow of the page, before turned the tablet around and slid it back to the woman.

_Atsune Makimasa_

The woman looked up in horror, fear and terror growing visibly on her face as her comprehension dawned.

"Now," Mikami said calmly, sitting back in his chair, twirling the pen idly between his fingers. "Atsune, if I may call you Atsune?" The joke fell flat in front of her, most likely because she was starting to panic, but Mikami continued on nonetheless.

"Now, Atsune, I clearly know your name, which I clearly should have no way of knowing," Mikami said. "So, clearly, there is something very strange afoot, which you have no way of understanding."

The psychiatrist just looked at him in stark terror.

"Now, as you are a smart woman, you should know when strange things are happening which you have no way of understanding, it is likely that there are other very strange things occurring simultaneously that you also do not understand," Mikami continued.

"A fact, for you, Atsune," Mikami said mildly. "Did you know that if I were anywhere but in this cell and I had written your name down just as you see it here, you would be dead from cardiac arrest within forty seconds?"

The woman screamed and toppled backwards out of her chair, terrified. Mikami stood up, looking down at her coldly.

"Now, had I chosen to _actually_ bother myself with killing you, I could have also gone about it in a more painful way," Mikami elaborated, moving closer. "I could have had you run over, I could have made you kill yourself, I could have had you dropped into a vat of acid, I could have had you clawed to death by a cat, or anything that caught my fancy."

She whimpered.

"I don't _like_ to kill the innocent, Atsune. It doesn't bode well with me. I'm all for the creation of a perfect society and killing criminals, not for the elimination of obnoxious psychologists. However-"

He fixed her with a cold, piercing look.

"-I am willing to make exceptions, Atsune."

She gulped.

"I trust my meaning is clear?"

She nodded.

Mikami regarded her for a moment longer, before turning away.

"You may go."

Not needing a second bidding, the woman scurried to her feet, hurriedly swept her things into her bag, quickly called for a guard to open the door, and scampered out of the cell, never once looking back. The guard shot him an odd look but led Mikami back to his cell. They walked along the prison, before reaching his cell, and the guard slammed the bars to his cell shut, snapping the lock back into place, and Mikami reclined on his cot, looking up at the stone ceiling.

Mikami smirked to himself. Her testimony at trial would be interesting, to say the least.

It was amusing, really, how she was the professional, and he, the convict; yet, somehow, he had managed to gain control of the situation and come out on top.

Perhaps he wasn't so different from Kira after all.

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	8. Chapter 8

This chapter, while not fully deserving of an 'M' rating, is pretty close, and definitely dances on the line a little. Immature readers who cannot handle S&M references and unresolved sexual tension should not read.

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Mikami had seen Kira before the rendezvous on the twenty-eight, once.

It had been a freak coincidence, really. He had been walking home through the village center, when he heard a loud squeal of excitement.

"Ooh, Raito-kun, look at that dress! It's so pretty!"

Raito? That was an... odd name, to say the least, but nothing _too _out of the ordinary.

But then...

"Misa-chan, you have approximately fifty other skimpy dresses nearly identical to that one in the showcase. I agreed to get you a new dress, but _not_ one like _that._"

The voice was lazy, cold, and offhandedly arrogant, and Mikami had heard it once before, on a cell phone, giving him directions.

He recognized it instantly.

Mikami turned slowly, disbelieving, his eyes scanning the crowd, until they settled on a couple near the middle of the square. The blonde girl was tugging the hand of her boyfriend, urging him into the nearest boutique, while he remained steadfast, looking rather amused by her half-hearted attempts at convincing him.

Mikami's eye's flicked upwards above the couple.

Misa Amane.

A jumble of numbers that he could not decipher.

Raito Yagami.

There was no lifespan to be seen.

Mikami had had to restrain himself from hyperventilating.

He had found god.

Mikami couldn't help but stare. Kira stood tall, with a narrow build, his posture and stature radiating confidence and that offhand arrogance that Mikami loved. His head was dusted with light brown hair that was too perfect to be dyed, but his eyes and face revealed that his heritage could only be Japanese. A genetic anomaly, perhaps?

Regardless, it was god, and Mikami couldn't stop himself from staring.

Suddenly, as if sensing Mikami's eyes upon him, Kira turned, his piercing gaze locking with Mikami's, and Mikami froze from across the square.

Kira didn't react, though he held his gaze for a long moment before turning to his companion.

"Misa," he said. "How about this store?" He gestured to the large boutique at the end of the square, and Mikami could see the girl nearly faint in excitement. "Go in and find something _appropriate._ This is a formal event, mind you. I'll follow you in a minute."

"Okay!" The girl ran off, too excited with being allowed into the most exclusive store and being told she could get practically anything with any price tag to wonder why her boyfriend was hanging behind.

Kira watched her go until she entered the store, and then turned to look sharply at Mikami, who hadn't moved, before walking into a nearby alley between two of the more shabbier stores.

Mikami followed. No command had been issued, but the order was clear.

The alley was dark and dingy, a layer of filth seeming to coat everything around the two. The sunlight didn't make it down between the buildings at this angle, and Mikami felt an ominous cloud settle around him.

Halfway through the alley, Kira paused, and Mikami stopped in front of him, his heart pounding, wondering what his god would do.

At first it was nothing. Kira looked Mikami up and down, circling him like a vulture, inspecting him, examining him, and Mikami tried to appear worthy of whatever judgment Kira was passing on him now.

Then, suddenly, Kira's hand was around his neck, and Mikami's head had banged up sharply against the alley wall, and Kira's face near his, breathing as he choked him.

"I could kill you right here, you know," he said, his voice quiet and cold. "I could kill you right here, no Death Note, no magic, just right here. It happens all the time you know, fights in alleyways gone wrong. Nobody would ever think twice."

Mikami gasped for air. Kira loosened his grasp slightly.

"A disciple knows his god, Mikami," Kira said conversationally, "so you must know that I would have no hesitation to do exactly that right here, right now, and I would never think twice. You may be useful, but if you have become a hassle, I will not hesitate to dispose of you."

"So tell me, Mikami," Kira said sharply, tightening his grasp once more, "why I should not kill you right now."

Mikami struggled for air.

"I- I didn't know-" Mikami choked. Kira loosened his hold.

"What?"

"I didn't know you would be here," Mikami said rapidly. "Really, I didn't. I was on my way home from work. It's just I heard your voice, talking to that girl, and I recognized it, and- and I had to see..."

"You just had to see what my name was," Kira said, his eyes narrowing as his grasp tightened.

"No! NO! I just wanted to see you! That was it! I swear! I don't care who you are!"

Slowly, Kira let go of his neck, his piercing black gaze boring into Mikami's eyes, before he a slow smirk spread across his face.

"You really _don't_ care, do you?" he asked. "I could tell you to kill yourself right now, and you'd do it, wouldn't you?"

"Of course." Mikami was confused. "But what good would that accomplish."

"Nothing. It was just an example." Kira paused, before leaning in again, his arms on either side of Mikami, pinning him to the wall.

"You have done well, Mikami," he said quietly, his eyes glinting. "You have pleased your god."

Mikami swallowed hard.

"Who am I?"

"You- you are Kira, god," Mikami answered unsteadily. "You are the savior of the world."

"Correct." Kira leaned in, his breath ghosting through Mikami's hair, warm on his ear. "And who are you?"

"I am your servant," Mikami said, more sure this time. "I will do whatever you tell me to, without hesitation. I live only to serve you."

"Very good." Kira pulled back, his eyes searching for something in Mikami's gaze, and Mikami quivered slightly.

"Do you know what I think, Mikami?" Kira whispered, turning his head to bite Mikami's neck ever so gently, making Mikami's knees weaken. "I don't think you'd just _do_ anything I'd tell you to do." He sucked the skin sharply, painfully, leaving a discolored mark. "I think you _want_ me to."

A moan tore itself from Mikami's throat of its own accord, and Kira pulled back slightly, smirking.

"You _do,_ don't you?" he whispered, and Mikami could only stare at him, his breath coming in ragged gasps as Kira popped open a button on Mikami's shirt, sliding his hands underneath it, despite their surroundings. "You _want_ me to take advantage of you like this, without your consent, without your input, don't you? You _enjoy_ it, don't you?"

He twisted his nipples, before rubbing them with the palms of his hands, and Mikami groaned through strained teeth.

"Your body certainly does," Kira said, looking Mikami in the eyes as his hands journeyed lower. "Why, just look at this."

He cupped Mikami through his pants, and Mikami gasped hard, aroused, as his hips automatically surged forward, pressing into his god's hand.

Kira glanced down and smirked, before unzipping Mikami's fly and slipping his hand inside, before gripping him tightly.

It was like liquid fire, hot and thick, surging through his veins, and Mikami felt as if it would burn him alive. His legs nearly gave out, but Kira pushed him up against the dank alley wall, supporting him, as he squeezed and moved his hand.

Mikami whimpered. Surely he had died and gone to heaven. Why else would his god be here, touching him like this, using his hands on him, making him sweat an driving him higher and higher, building a coil of thick desire in his center, just waiting to spring free?

And then Kira was kissing him, pinning his mouth to his, raking his hand through his hair, and it was forceful, possessive, and vicious, and there was nothing kind or caring about it, and Mikami loved it. It was domineering and dominating, with Kira's lips possessing and abusing his own, his tongue dueling with his, all while he caressed Mikami, having pulled him free of his pants, stroking him whilst he kissed him, and Mikami could barely think.

And then Kira dropped him, just as suddenly as it had all started, and Mikami fell to the ground, his hair disheveled, his lips swollen, his eyes dilated, his shirt half-undone, hanging out of his paints, hard and throbbing painfully.

Kira smirked.

"You may want to take care of that," Kira said, gesturing to Mikami's erection. "I hear they tend to get rather painful if left unattended to."

His eyes raked over Mikami once more, before he left the alley, not turning back and giving Mikami a second glance.

Later that night, when he was in bed, after climaxing to the thoughts of Kira using him and killing him in the moment of climax for them both, Mikami realized something.

Kira had been right.

He didn't just _obey_ Kira.

He _wanted_ to obey.

And the thought both aroused him and frightened him all at once.

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	9. Chapter 9

I have an AP World History test today. If I pass the test, I get college credit. Wish me luck!

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"And when you examined Teru-san, what did you find?"

"I discovered grandiose tendencies along with multiple delusional disorders."

Mikami restrained himself from rolling his eyes. The woman was barely in the room with him for five minutes, and she had discovered he was delusional?

He clicked his pen, and the woman froze, disconcerted.

"Do these delusional disorders suggest that the defendant is insane?" the lawyer prodded.

"That's where it gets complicated," the doctor admitted. "Although he displays many signs and symptoms of grandiose type delusional disorder and monothematic delusions in regards to righteousness, it is hard to isolate how much of this is under his control and how much is not."

"So Teru's sanity, while not completely absent, is questionable?"

"Precisely."

"Thank you." The defense lawyer returned to his seat.

Mikami rolled his eyes. He didn't have delusions if said delusions were _true_. He really _could_ kill someone by writing their name down. That wasn't a delusion.

The woman was just trying to do her job, he supposed.

Mikami watched, hiding a smile as the prosecutor rose, looking at a tablet.

"Miss Makimasa," he said, looking at the figures written. "You were in the cell with Teru for five minutes and nineteen seconds. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"How is it that you were able to diagnose him and then leave so quickly when you typically spend over an hour examining and profiling criminals?"

The doctor looked away. "Unusual circumstances arose that required me to leave."

Mikami could have laughed out loud.

"Unusual circumstances?" the prosecutor pressed on. "What happened?"

"I felt threatened and felt the need to leave," Makimasa said shortly.

"Please, miss, tell us what happened," the prosecutor said, insistent. "The court will listen. The truth needs to come out about what happened in that room."

The psychiatrist sighed.

"When I went in, I began a normal exercise where the subject is asked to attempt to profile themselves," she said reluctantly. "When I began this with Teru, however, he refused, before finally taking my notepad and writing my name onto it."

The prosecutor looked at her blankly. "And you felt threatened by this?"

"I had not introduced myself!" she said sharply. "He had no way to know what my name was, let alone the correct kanji! I was frightened!"

"What happened then?"

"Teru spoke about strange things and about if he had written my name down elsewhere, he could have killed me. It was frightening, and I didn't know what was going on, so I decided to leave."

The prosecution picked up an evidence bag from the table.

"People's exhibit A, your Honor. The Death Note found with Mikami Teru when he was arrested. Are you aware of this, Miss Makimasa?"

It was clear she was not, but she looked at it in stark horror anyway.

"No."

"Are you aware that it is with this tool that Teru wrote down over five hundred names, thereby causing people to die?"

"That's impossible!" she cried. "Someone can't die from having their name written down!"

"But with _this_ note, it is true," the prosecutor said calmly. "Please accept that as fact for now and try to understand."

"Now, knowing this, what Teru said in that cell was true, correct?" he continued.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain how he knew my name."

"A minor detail," the prosecutor waved off. "Perhaps the guard told him or he looked at the register. It matters not. However, if what Teru said was true, it was not delusional then, was it?"

"No, I suppose not," the doctor frowned.

"Then perhaps Teru is not delusional after all?"

"Perhaps."

"No further questions."

Mikami's lawyer glared at him, and Mikami scowled, scribbled something onto a paper and passed it to him.

"Redirect, you Honor?" the defense asked.

The judge nodded.

"Miss Makimasa, is your first name Atsune?" the lawyer asked, looking at the scrap of paper he held in his hand.

The woman on the stand turned a deathly shade of white and looked like she might faint, barely managing to maintain her composure.

"Where did you get that?" she asked quietly.

"I think we can tell by reaction that your first name _is_ Atsune," he said conversationally.

"Where did you get that paper?" she demanded.

"My client just wrote this down and passed it to me now," he said airily. "If I recall correctly, when you introduced yourself to the court, you said you were Dr. Makimasa. Your first name was never mentioned."

"I have here," he said, returning to the defense table and picking up a clipboard, "the admission records for the date of the examination. You signed in as Dr. Makimasa there as well. No one knew your first name in the jail. No one here knew your first name. Only my client."

"Miss Makimasa, or _Atsune,_ if I may call you that," the lawyer said, returning the admission records to the table. "Can you explain how my client knew your first name despite these circumstances?"

"No!" she cried. "No! That's what I've been trying to tell you! There's something freakishly wrong with him, I'm telling you! He's definitely delusional, at least with that!"

"Thank you. No further questions."

The defense lawyer sat down as the judge checked the clock, before addressing and dismissing the jury until court the next day.

"How _did_ you figure out her first name?" he hissed to Mikami.

Mikami shrugged. "You _don't _want to know."

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Read it? Review! Mind you, there's only twelve chapters to this story, so your time to review is running out, and you'd hate to disappoint me, now, wouldn't you? 


	10. Chapter 10

At one point, when reflecting in his cell, Mikami realized that it had been his desire to help Kira that had been his eventual downfall.

When Takada had called, Mikami had realized this was his chance. It had been his chance to prove himself to Kira. And it was a chance he was not willing to miss.

He had gone immediately to the bank, removing the note and writing down the instructions he thought his god would have done. Kiyomi Takada. Suicide. A fire would destroy all the evidence, so the method was chosen as well.

_Kiyomi Takada. Suicide by burning oneself. January 26th, 2:33 PM._

Near's little friend had tailed him to the bank, and the alteration in his behavior caught their notice, and they had broken into his safety deposit box and replaced his Death Note. Through his longing to help Kira, his misinformation, his supposed quick thinking... he had ruined his god's plan.

_You idiot... I told you not to do anything unnecessary until today! _

He should have _known_ Kira would have an emergency back-up plan. Of _course _Kira would keep scraps of the Death Note on him in case just such a set of circumstances had arisen! It was only practical. While being restricted from judging was one thing, killing one person in an emergency was quite another.

But Mikami had been eager to please Kira, and had acted against the orders Kira had given him, cementing his own downfall, and nearly his god's as well.

_God was being watched... he couldn't move... with Takada in that situation... it was my duty..._

Mikami slammed his head back against his cot. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known! Why couldn't he manage to do even the simplest things correctly? What was wrong with him?

He felt like the world's biggest idiot.

It was his own stupidity that had led him to being caught. It was his own fault that the closing statements were in two days, and he was likely to be convicted and sentenced to death.

And if not by the state, certainly by Kira, for failing him.

_Stupid stupid stupid,_ Mikami told himself.

How could he have been so _stupid?_

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Read it? Review! Next chapter's my favorite one. Or maybe the last is. Not sure, really. Review! 


	11. Chapter 11

"Mikami Teru, on what day did you receive the Death Note?"

"November 28th." Mikami replied without hesitation.

"Why did you accept it?"

"I had no reason not to."

Mikami surveyed the courtroom silently, where many pairs of eyes were turned onto him. Although he had been in court often enough, being in the witness box was an unusual experience for him, not that he minded. It was nice to get a bit of a thrill before his end.

His lawyer had been frank with him, telling him the only way they stood a chance of winning was to play up the insanity factor to the highest degree. Mikami refused to lie, but he agreed to the strategy. It was likely to backfire, making the jury hate him more, but it was the only strategy they had at the moment, as Mikami refused to justify his actions to people who had been won over by the likes of Near.

"What did you do with the Death Note?"

"I wrote the names of various criminals and corrupt politicians into it."

"Why?"

"To kill them."

The lawyer paused, letting that sink in.

"Did you do this because you feared for your own life from Kira?"

"No."

"Did you do this because you wanted to?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Mikami sighed, adjusted himself, and began to speak.

"All my life, I have been surrounded by the unrighteous and corrupt," he said, looking directly at the jury. "I have long since held the belief that such people do not deserve to live, and that someone should eliminate them all. When Kira descended to earth, I was overjoyed."

"Did you try to get Kira's attention so he would choose you as his follower?"

"Oh, yes. I went to every taping of the 'Kira's kingdom' show so as to attract his notice, I made my opinion highly public, even with my job, until it eventually paid off, and I, too, was allowed part of Kira's power."

"The power to kill people you don't even know in the name of creating a utopia?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Did you receive any other powers beside that with which to kill people?"

"I plead the fifth."

"Do you feel your actions were that of a sane person?"

"Objection!" The persecution stood up. "Mr. Teru is not a psychologist; he has no jurisdiction to diagnose sanity or insanity!"

"Sustained."

"No further questions."

The defense returned to his seat, while the persecution stood up, buttoning his coat, taking a paper with him.

"So," said conversationally. "You're a follower of Kira?"

Mikami looked at him blankly. "I thought that at this point that would be obvious."

The jury snickered, though the attorney ignored the jab.

"If you're a follower of Kira, why hasn't he saved you then?"

"He has no reason to," Mikami said calmly. "I failed him. I was caught, when I was not supposed to be, and I nearly caused his ruin as well as my own."

"So he just doesn't like you anymore?"

The jury snickered.

"You could say that."

"Then why have you not offered the information you know on Kira, his killing methods, shinigami, or these other freaky powers you seem to have gained in exchange for a deal?" the prosecutor asked, his eyes glinting.

"Whether or not Kira cares for my welfare is not my concern," Mikami said simply. "I am loyal to Kira either way."

"So it's like a one-way street, that sometimes you just get shortchanged on?"

"Exactly."

The prosecutor scoffed, before turning around.

"Are you sorry for killing all those people?"

"No."

"If given the chance, would you do it all again?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Why?"

"I believe it is the right thing to do."

The prosecutor turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"You believe it is right to justify murder with intention of _preventing_ murder?" he asked, his tone ironic.

Mikami smirked. "Yes, it does seem to violate the law of non-contradiction, doesn't it? However, I am not to ask questions; I merely follow what god tells me to do. I have faith in him."

The prosecutor scoffed again, before demanding, "Do you realize that if found guilty, the state will charge you with the death penalty?"

"Yes."

"Do you have some deep, twisted idea of martyrdom for Kira despite the fact that your god has abandoned you, Teru?"

Mikami laughed. He couldn't help it.

"I am not doing this to be a martyr, Namito," he said, calling the lawyer by the name that floated above his head. "I am doing this because I am more than willing to die to keep Kira's secrets. And if Kira wishes me to live, I have no doubt that I will. My life is Kira's, in every sense, and I care not what happens to me anymore."

The lawyer made his way back to his seat.

"No further- wait."

He paused, turning.

"What did you call me?" he asked, looking at him oddly.

"Namito," Mikami answered promptly.

"He did you know my first name when you have no access to such information?" he demanded.

"Maybe it's one of those freaky powers Kira gave me that I refuse to deal with you about," Mikami said, his tone teasing, ominous. "You can go ahead and kill me, Namito, but Kira will live on. There is no way mere humans can ever fight with a god and win, Namito. He had powers that you have only dreamed of. There is no way you stand a chance."

His words rang ominously in the courtroom, before the prosecutor slowly returned to his seat, distinctly unsettled.

"No further questions."

"Court is dismissed for the day and will be resumed tomorrow." The judge banged the gavel, and and spectators turned to gather their things and leave the courtroom.

Mikami held out his hands to be cuffed, which his guards did obligingly, and was led to the door to be returned to his cell, only to hear a loud commotion going on outside.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"No idea," one responded. "We'll find out."

The guards began asking questions with the guards keeping everyone inside the courtroom, the chaos and noise growing louder.

"It's a drug case next door. Someone brought a gun into the courtroom and fired it, and the guards are keeping everyone hear for security reasons."

Mikami turned to see a short, blonde woman wearing a large-brimmed hat and sunglasses who had spoken. She seemed vaguely familiar.

"How do you know this?" he asked.

"I just do," she said simply.

They remained there for a moment, as the chaos and yelling grew, before she commented, "Nice trick with Namito and the eyes, you know. Very clever. Completely threw him for a loop."

Mikami turned to look at her.

"The eyes?" he said slowly.

"You know, the eyes," she said, raising her sunglasses. "You're not the only one who has them, you know."

Mikami's eyes flicked upward as a name dissolved into view.

_Misa Amane._

There was no lifespan.

Mikami looked back down to gape at her, but she had replaced the sunglasses.

"Can't be too careful," she commented. "They're still on the lookout for us, you know, but we couldn't leave town yet. Not when we still have work to do here."

"Work?" Mikami asked, trying desperately to maintain his cool.

Misa looked at him, and she smiled slightly.

"Well, sure," she said. "Kira always rewards his most faithful followers, now, doesn't he?"

Mikami looked at her, thunderstruck.

Suddenly, the doors opened, and the crowd poured forth into the lobby, and the guards were dragging him back to his cell as he struggled against them, trying to hang back and talk to her for another moment or two, watching as she waved at him before disappearing into the crowds.

And for the first time in nearly two months,

Mikami dared to hope.

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Read it? Review! One more to go! 


	12. Chapter 12

Last chapter. The ending. With an appearance by Kira, of course. Naturally. After you read it, please, leave a review, and let me know what you think of it, and of the story as a whole.

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Mikami was normally a very calm and collected person.

It was something he prided himself on. Even when he had become emblazoned with passion and fury with a case, even when he was furious, Mikami was usually able to maintain his focus and concentrate on the task at hand, when necessary.

But today,

Mikami was failing miserably.

"And we all know just what Kira has accomplished, in such a short rate of time..."

Mikami's lawyer was going on about the crime rate, his reaction to the power he had gained, about his loss of sanity, and Mikami heard the words, but none of them really seemed to register. He could hear them, but they just sort of seemed to float away, almost like he was immune to it all, like he was wrapped in a bubble of apathy. He _knew_ he should be paying attention; it was closing statements, the most important part of the trial, save the verdict, but Mikami just couldn't seem to focus.

And then the prosecutor was standing. And he was talking about how many people Mikami had killed, and how he had done it coldly, calculatingly, deliberately, and how he had methodically planned each execution, and how that this was not the work of an insane man, but the work of a cold, cruel killer, and Mikami didn't care. The prosecutor could have said anything he wanted to, and Mikami wouldn't have cared.

It was rather scary, in a way.

And then the judge was dismissing the jury for deliberation, and the courtroom was silent, hanging in wait, and only then, when all had been said and done, and it was too late for Mikami to do anything more, could he focus.

Mikami was wearing a suit, a sharp one, that his lawyer had provided, as well as sporting a new haircut, one that made him look less like a criminal and more like the fallen prosecutor he was supposed to be. Mikami had put on the suit like a robot, mindlessly, obeying, not really caring, his mind only focused ahead on one thing:

The verdict.

For if Kira were to truly act, if he were to truly save him, surely, that would be the moment he would choose.

Kira had always had a flair for the dramatic, after all.

The closing statements hadn't mattered. Nothing mattered. Only Kira. Only Kira would save him, if he deemed him worthy of being saved, if he had decided Mikami was worth his weight. The verdict only mattered because it mattered to Kira, and then, only indirectly at best.

Only Kira. Only Kira mattered now.

So Mikami sat in the courtroom, hoping, wishing, _praying_, all while the jury deliberated. He sat there silently, while his lawyer worked on some other case, and the prosecutor sat there mildly, doing the same.

Kira would save him. Mikami had faith in his god. If Kira was meant to save him, Kira would.

During the time they were gone, Mikami watched, noting the people who filed into the courtroom to hear the verdict. There was Near, along with the rest of his remaining followers from the SPK, a group of the NPA, and a large number of anti-Kira activists who had become vocal after Mikami had been caught.

Mikami surveyed them all, his hand itching for his pen and his Death Note to be returned to him. But no. That was not his job anymore. He was no longer to judge the unrighteous and wrong.

That job was Kira's again, now.

And then the jury was back, and the courtroom was packed, and the media was back, with everyone who didn't like Kira or support him there, ready to hear the verdict, and Mikami knew what it would be. It was clear from the smiles on the faces of the witnesses, who were there to hear the results, on the smug face of Near, and the gleam that flickered momentarily in the judge's eyes before handing the verdict back to the foreman.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" he asked.

"We have, your Honor."

"Will the defendant please rise."

Mikami stood up obediently, his eyes alert, looking around for a sign of what was to come.

Where was Kira?

"What have you decided?"

The courtroom waited with baited breath, as did Mikami, though for an entirely different reason as he scanned the courtroom.

Where was Misa?

Where was Kira?

Was this just a cruel trick?

Mikami forced himself to remain calm.

Kira would save him.

He would trust in Kira.

"We, the jury, find the defendant guilty on all charges."

There was a loud, triumphant uproar from the crowd.

Mikami closed his eyes.

And then

the front wall exploded.

Smoke and fire poured into the room, bellowing in great, heavy clouds,dust and plaster falling blowing outward in large chunks, and terrified screams filled the room as people ran about, trying to leave, only to find the doors were locked and their bodies wouldn't obey.

And Mikami looked at the damage, seeing the people running about frantically, panicking, as the room rapidly caught fire, though they could not climb over the rubble that crowed the front wall, and Mikami smiled.

He had known Kira would pull through.

He had faith.

"Mikami!"

Mikami looked up to see the small silhouette of Misa Amane against the fire, looking at him, and Mikami moved toward her, no one bothering to stop him. There was a Death Note open in Misa's hands, and Mikami caught some of the words, preventing everyone whose name had been written down from leaving the courthouse, having them all burned alive, while the television cameras captured it all. Mikami and climbed up on top of the rubble and followed Misa out of the courthouse, while fire trucks and ambulances blared by them, completely oblivious of the escaping deviants, too intent on getting to the wreckage to notice their shadowy figures. They made their way to a small bench across the street, where Kira was standing, waiting for them, Ryuuk fluttering behind.

Misa moved to her place at his side, and Mikami bowed low, reverent, amazed he had been allowed to serve his god once more.

"God," he said, breathless.

"Get up, Mikami Teru," Kira commanded from above him, and Mikami obeyed, standing. Kira's cold eyes flicked over him, judgmental, before stopping.

"You are a fool, Mikami," Kira informed him. "It was through your own stupidity that all this was was allowed to happen."

Mikami hung his head, ashamed. This was nothing he did not know.

"And yet..."

Mikami's breath caught in his throat.

"Through your capture, you managed to assemble all outspoken protesters against the new world in one place to hear the verdict," Kira told him, his tone losing a touch of its icy edge. "You remained loyal to me unto your end, when you had no reason to believe that I would do anything to interfere with your trial, and your trial allowed one of my greatest triumphs since the beginning of my reign."

Mikami looked up, hopeful, and there was a thin, twisted smile on Kira's lips.

"You have done well, Mikami," Kira told him.

And Mikami had never been happier.

"Ryuuk," Kira beckoned, gesturing, and the shinigami obligingly came forward, dropping a familiar black notebook onto the ground. Mikami looked at Kira, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

"I believe this was taken away from you," Kira said, his voice emotionless and non-committal. It seems like was time it was returned to you."

Slowly, disbelieving, Mikami picked up the Death Note from the ground, and felt the familiar rush of power course through his veins, and he knew this was no fake. He looked to Kira, who was smirking slightly, and Misa, who was clinging to his side, and Ryuuk, who looked amused, and he bowed.

"Thank you."

And Kira smiled. It was the first real smile Mikami had ever seen on his face, and it nearly took his breath away, before the smirk was back in place once more.

"Come," he beckoned. "We have work to do."

And Kira turned, Misa at his side, and Mikami followed them, Ryuuk flapping overhead, and Mikami turned back, watching as the courthouse burned to the ground, the agonizing screams of those trapped inside echoing in the chill evening air.

Mikami smiled.

Faith always paid off in the end.

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